TOPIC: New to Me Outboards

I just purchased two new to me outboards; a 1972 Evinrude 100 HP Model 100293R Serial number J02058 and a 1973 Johnson 65 HP model65ESL73 Serial number 385D392. Both were used only in fresh water. The 100 Hp Evinrude has less then 100 hrs and was always stored inside. The 65 Johnson looks new but who knows. Has anyone had any experience with either of these models/years good or bad? What should I be on the lookout for?

Thanks

Hello halcyondays ~

I Have Had a Couple Of Evinrude V-4 85 HP. The First One Was a 1972 Evinrude 85 With The Push Button Shift Control. It Was a Pretty Good Unit Overall. The Other Evinrude 85 Was a 1978 Model & It Was Also a Very Good Unit. Not Any Problems To Speak Of. I Do Currently Own a 1970 Johnson 115 V-4 & The Problem Im Having With It Is...You Can Put Ear Muffs On It, The Lower Unit For Water, It Will Run Great. But..When You Put It In Water Like The Lake & Try To Run It, The Motor Will Run But Will Only Turn Between 2-3 Thousand RPM'S & Will Not Plane The Boat. I Was Told That It Was More Than Likely In The Carbs. I Have Never Owned a 65 HP Outboard Before But , I Do Currently Own a 1979 Evinrude 70 HP Outboard. I Will Say That This Lil Motor Runs Excellent & There Is Only 1 Possible Thing That I Might Have To Look At Come Spring Time & That Would Be a New Or Rebuilt Starter. I Had Taken It In To Get It Winterized & The Mech Showed Me That The Starter Was Hanging Up. Otherwise...That Motor Runs Great! I Have a Question For You. Did You Run Either Outboard Before You Purchased Them ? I Hope This Info Helps. Take Care & Have a Great Day ~

Evinrude Man

The 72 has the electric shift which if in good condition is a BONUS

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They are bullet proof units if you keep water out !!!.

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The ignition on the 72 100 HP is an expensive nitemare and that igniton style was discontinued in 73 for the MAGFLASH units.

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The 73 65-HP has the " magflash " ignition and is a good all round motor.

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You must run those early triples at the proper RPM.-They had pistons that where known to break of a piece of the skirt.-The result being a hole in the crankcase and a " no run " condition.--The replacement "heavy wall " pistons solved that.

This is great information. I have heard about the ignition issues on the '72. When I was young my dad had a '71 60 HP Johnson that the "power pack" kept failing on. The reason we were given at the time was that we were running it with a battery that had run down. At the time that pack was expensive.

The shifting on the '72 I guard against water getting into the lower unit, by watching the color when I change the oil.

On the '73 how concerned should I be about the pistons? Sounds major if they crack. Where can I find info. on the correct RPM's? Should I think about replacing them before the problem?

Lower units are pressure tested to look for leaks and after seal replacement.

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Maximum for the 3 cylinder would be around 5200 RPM.

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Your call on replacing the pistons.If you can do the work yourself to keep cost down. If the motor is in " pristine condition " and a long term keeper then you might want to.

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WISECO pistons also eliminate those problematic " pressure back " piston rings.

I would not be doing the work myself. I have to say I am nervous about that motor. It looks to be in very nice condition runs nice etc. But... it is 35 years old etc. I picked up these outboards to be daily runners on two wooden boats I have. A 19' Grady White that has the original 1966 80HP Johnson, I am keeping that and using the '72 100HP as a daily user. And a 16 1/2' Grady White that has the original 1962 50HP Mercury also keeping and the '73 65HP was a daily runner on that. Just need to decide if I should keep the '73 or be looking perhaps for a new model.

Older outboards are cheap because shops refuse to work on them. If they do labour is very expensive. Time to find a neighbor or grey haired / retired mechanic to help you.

The 65 is a solid motor. I would even set the rev bar a little higher than 5200 - aim for closer to 5500. It has the good ignition (self-contained CDI) and is NOT electric shift, which makes it less of a pariah should you need service.

Plan on carbs getting rebuilt right off the bat - you want new ethanol resistant carb kits in there to prevent issues. Also, a waterpump impeller installed - unless the PO can show that it's been done within the last couple years.

The OMC triples are very good on gas, particularly when compared to the V4s they replaced.

I hear what you are saying about repairs and would like to learn. Currently I use and have for years (50+) Sonny's Outboard of Windham Maine. Sonny had his shop in Gray Maine before retiring and moving to Windham. Sonny does an excellent job and knows these outboards, but it is expensive, like everything else. I would enjoy working on them as part of the hobby.

Get a factory manual , ask question and fix them yourself .----Motors after all, are just a collection of " simple ideas ". Not that hard to learn at all.

You can do it Halcyondays, it's just a little nervous getting started. They good folks here will help you out if you have questions, but get the manual and read it thoroughly before beginning the project. There are also some good videos on "how to" projects like carb kits, water pump impellers, etc. on a website called TMD (The Marine Doctor). We can give you the link if you need it.

www.themarinedoctor.com

I recently went through a 1973 Johnson 115 that wasn't running, had been sitting up since 08. (I had some Merc experience, but had never worked on a Johnson before other than routine maintenance.) It was parked because the PO couldn't get it to run right. Had the wrong spark plugs in it, used black silicone for carb gaskets instead of buying the proper replacements, etc. Now it runs like a new motor, and I wouldn't take ANYTHING for it!

www.fiberglassics.com/glassic-forums/j-e-g-o-s-place/1973-johnson-115esl73m-revival

And use good quality oil in that 65. I've used Pennzoil FULL synthetic in all my outboards (member AOMCI) for about six years now, and swear by synthetics!!!!!